July 26 2019
David’s Obituary David Edwin S. Carasso (September 24, 1921 – July 26, 2018) David Edwin S. Carasso died in Fairfield, Connecticut on July 26, 2019 at the age of 97. Mr. Carasso is survived by his wife Colette, his daughters Nicole Najmowicz of Monroe, CT, Claudia Carasso of San Francisco, CA, and Monique Carasso of New York, NY; grandchildren Nicholas and Daniel Najmowicz and Juliette and Roger Carasso; sister Renée Carasso; in laws Gretchen Thomas and Melissa Kirk; and numerous nieces and nephews all over the world. He is preceded in death by his siblings Felix, Lina, Maurice, Charlotte, Esther, and Lucette. Mr. Carasso was born on September 24, 1921 in Alexandria, Egypt to the late Shemtob and Fortune Carasso. Of Spanish descent, he was a natural polyglot who spoke four languages fluently and could comfortably converse in several others. He began his education at the Lycée Francais in Alexandria. When his family later moved to Cairo, Egypt, Mr. Carasso attended the English Mission College. After graduation, Mr. Carasso, with his language fluency in French, Spanish, and Arabic, was set to join the British Army at the Battle of El Alamein during World War II. While enroute, his convoy was bombed and most of the men in it killed. Returning to Cairo and still determined to serve, Mr. Carasso was recruited by the U.S. Army to support senior American command in Cairo where he assisted in translation and legal affairs. In recognition of his service to the U.S. Army, he was invited to become a citizen of the United States and in 1948 boarded the USS Marine Carp bound for New York City. New York would become his home for the next decade and he proudly received his U.S. citizenship in 1954. As he pursued an economics degree at New York University, he stayed involved in world affairs, working with a group of advocates including the American Jewish Congress to challenge the restrictions placed on Jewish immigration from Egypt to the United States during the Suez Crisis of 1956. After unsuccessfully approaching the U.S. State Department and Immigration and Naturalization Service, Mr. Carasso persisted, seeking out U.S. Senator Jacob Javits of New York. In that meeting, Mr. Carasso stressed the American core value of family, explaining that families that were being torn apart by the conflict. Ultimately, he and the other advocates were able to make their case, playing a key role in the issuance of an additional thousand visas for those fleeing Egypt during this time. In the decades to follow, Mr. Carasso held senior executive positions at a number of major pharmaceutical companies and would travel the world many times over. He had an amazing ability to connect with people from all cultures and had friends from many different backgrounds and political persuasions. He was a valued member of Congregation B’nai Israel in Bridgeport, CT. His wit, charm, compassion, and excellence at poker will be greatly missed by his family and friends. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, August 1 at 2pm at Temple B’nai Israel, 2710 Park Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06604. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that monetary contributions be made in his memory to the Congregation B’nai Israel Music Fund at www.cbibpt.org/ or USA for UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency at donate.unhcr.org Read More
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of David Edwin S Carasso July 26 2019.
Abriola & Kelemen Funeral Home Llc
Death notice for the town of: Bridgeport, state: Connecticut